Expansible column.



W. L. DILLON. EXPANSIBLE COLUMN. APPLICATION FILED 001'. 26, 1909. RENEWED NOV. 11, 1910.

Patented June 20, 1911.

n STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM L. DILLON, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

EXPANSIBLE COLUMN.

Specification of Letters latent. Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed October 26, 1909, Serial No. 524,689. Renewed November 11, 1910. Serial No. 532,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. DiLton, a citizen of the United States, residing at Council Blufl's, in the county of Pottawattamie and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Expansible Columns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an'expansible column formed of communicating cylindrical sections, each section being adapted to expand in a direction along the longitudinal line of the column and the object of the invention is to'secure longitudinal movement of said column, which movement may be employed either for the purpose of producing motion, as when one end of the column is fixed and the other is connected to a crank rod, or the column can be utilized as the equivalent of a spring, as a buffer, or as a shock absorber.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction, hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan'view of one of my columns shown in position for use in connection with an explosive fluid. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the column, the central portion being broken out, a valve casing being also shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, I have illustrated one View of the invention, that is, as an air cooled, pistonless gas engine. In these drawings, 1 and 2 represent rigid end plates for the column. The end plate 1, in the device as used in connection with a gas engine, or in a compressed air motor, is provided with a centrally arranged chamber 3 provided vupon one side with an inlet port 4, and upon the opposite side with an exhaust port 5. Employed as a gas engine a supply pipe 6 opens into a valve casing 7 with which the inlet port 4 communicates, said port being controlled by an inwardly opening suction valve 8. A valve 9 controls the exhaust said valve being provided with a stem 10, said stem to be positively actuated, as by a cam or other well known valve operating means and the port 5 leads into a casing 11 from which leads an exhaust pipe 12. An opening 13 is provided in the end of the chamber 3 through which an ignition device may project into the chamber. It

will be understood that the end plate or head 1 is cut out centrally, said out out portion having the same diameter as the chamber 3. Upon the inner face of the end plate 1 and surrounding the central cut out portion of the end plate is a channel ring 14. As a large number of these rings are employed in building up a column it may be stated that the rings 14 are'all of the same size,'the flanges carried by them extend outwardly, and similar rings 15 have a diameter much larger than the rings 14 and have theirflanges extending inwardly. In forming the column a flange of the first ring 14 is secured to the end plate 1 and to the other flanges is brazed, welded or otherwise firmly secured a disk 16 of comparatively thin sheet metal, said disk being centrally cut out to receive the ring 14, and the outer marginal portion of the disk 16 is similarly secured within a flange of one of the rings 15. A second disk is secured to a flange of the second ring 14 and also to the other flange of the last mentioned ring 15. In this manner the column is built up and it will be noted that the disks 16 are arranged in pairs, the disks forming a pair being connected to the same ring 15 but to different rings 14. The result of this construction is that a central pipe is formed through the column consist ing of a series of rings 14 all in alinernentbut spaced apart, around the central pipe portion thus formed there is also formed by the disks and the rings 15 a plurality of cylinders, said cylinders all opening into the central hollow portion, which forcconvenience I have referred to as a pipe, each of said cylinders being spaced from each other,

a free circulation of air being permitted between each pair of disks and adjacent pairs.

It will also be noted that in a construction "of this kind the rings 14 and 15 are staggered with respect to each other.

When used as an engine the end plate 1 is fixed and the end plate 2 left free to slide along guide-rods 17. This end plate is connected to the crank portion of a crank shaft 18 by means of a connecting rod 19. In operation as a gas engine gas will be sucked through the port 4, will pass through the rings 14 into the spaces formed by the pairs of disks 16, and if said gas is exploded in the chamber 3 by means of any suitable igniting device it will exert its explosive powers within said cylinders, expanding the cylinders, especially along the central longitudinal line of the column, and as a result of art of a gas engine in order to more clearly such expansion the length of the column will bring out its construction. I do' not desire, be increased thus drlving the crank rod however to be limited to any particular use 60 through one-half of a revolution. Upon-the, of the column, as it can be readily adapted I return stroke, due to momentum the prodfor use in connection with steam by maklng ucts of combustion will esca through the the necessary changes in the-valve construcport 5 the valve 9 being time to open u )on tion, and if desired two of these columns'maysuch return stroke. U on the first hal of be connected in tandem. one expanding as the 65 the second revolution tli e column will again other contracts. 10 be expanded thus drawing in a new supply A further and perhaps more universal use of gas, which supply w1ll be compressed of the column is as a shock absorber, bufler during the second half of the second stroke, or spring. When so used it is placed in any the Valve 9- remaining closed, ignition will desired position, and either end may be the 70 then take place and the expanding gas will fixed end. Any suitable means wouldbe l5 produce the first half of the third stroke, provided for inflating the same with comand a cycle as above described will continue. pressed air or other suitable fluid, as for ex- In reference to the above description it ample air could be forced through the pipe will be noted from Fig. 1 that there are 6 under pressure, or any desired arrange- 75 twenty-one rings in the column shown, ment of check valves could be provided. makin forty-two disks. An expansion of Manufactured of extremely thin disks and one-eig th of an inch upon the part of each upon a much smaller scale than for the purdisk, or the spreading apart of the rings 14 pose above mentioned the device could be so that the distance separating them norfilled with some volatile gas, such as ether, 80 mally will be increased by one-eighthof an and employed as a thermostat or'regulating .25 inch will give. a positive movement to the disk, such as are found in incubators, curing crank rod equal to the number of rings emestablishments and other places wherea therployed multiplied by the said increase. It mostatic alarm or regulator is desired. 7 V will be readily been therefore that a stroke of What I claim is p .85

from four to six inches can be readily ob- 1. A device of the kind described consisttained with a very slight expansion upon'the ing of rigid end plates, flanged rings conart of each cylinder forming the column. nected to said end plates, a series of similar It will be further noted that the diameters rings arranged between the rings first menof the cylinders are approximately about.- tioned, inalinementwith them, and spaced 90 five times that of the rings 14, and the diamefrom them, a plurality of disks arranged in ters of the cylinders are very much greater pairs, said disks being centrally cut out and than their dimensions alongthe longitudinal the disks of each pair being secured to difline of, the column the distance between the ferent rings, and flan ed rings to which the disks ofa pair bein very slight compared outer edges of said isks are secured, each 95 with the diameter. of these disks therepair of disks being connected to one of the 40 fore have ractically their" entire surface last mentioned rings.

upon two f ces exposed to the outside air, 2. A column of the kind described conand the air cooling surface of an engine so sisting of a plurality of channel rings of a constructed is very great. comparatively small diameter, said rings, be- 100 In order to strengthen and brace the cyling inalinement with each other and spaced inders I may insert rin s 20 within the apart, of disks centrally cut out and arflanges of the rings 15, sai rings 20 spacing ranged in pairs, said disks bein mounted apart and bracing the outer marginal porupon the said 'rings, the disks 0 each pair tions of the disks. The rings 20 however, being secured to adjacent rings, respectively, 105 are simply a preferred form of strengthenand rigid channel rings of a much greater mg the cylinders and are not essential parts diameter than the rings first mentioned, the of the construction, and where an extremely said second mentioned rings securing to light engine is desired, as for example in gether disks of the same pair, as and for connection with aeroplanes these rings may the purpose set forth. be dispensed with and the rings-15 may be WILLIAM L. DILLON.

electrically welded-to the disks. Witnesses:

I have described at length the construction C. W. FOWLER, and operation of the device whenused as a E. B. MCBATH. 

